Kyiv hit by ballistic missiles as Moscow faces 600 drones in the same night

Herz — World Desk · 16 August 2026 at 05:37 · 30s summary · 3 min read

What is known

Explosions were heard in Kyiv overnight from August 15 to 16, 2026, after a ballistic-missile alert was issued in the Ukrainian capital, according to an AFP journalist cited by France 24. Shortly before 3 a.m. local time on August 16, or midnight GMT, Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned on Telegram that Kyiv was under ballistic-missile attack and urged residents to remain in shelters.

Kyiv’s military administration reported a fire in a non-residential building in the Obolonsky district. One person was injured in the capital, according to Le Monde. Firefighters also responded at a book market struck by a Russian missile.

Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s home city in central Ukraine, was also targeted during the same night. Local authorities said a combined missile and drone attack struck two industrial companies.

Moscow targeted by 600 Ukrainian drones

Ukraine launched 600 drones at Moscow during the same night, according to the Russian capital’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin. He reported at least three injuries and said 201 drones were downed in the region immediately surrounding Moscow.

Drone shot down in Romanian airspace

At 5:01 a.m. local time on August 16, 2026, or 2:01 a.m. GMT, a drone entered Romanian airspace near the borders with Ukraine and Moldova. A Spanish F-18 deployed to Romania on a NATO mission shot it down, according to Romania’s defence minister. The debris fell in an uninhabited area of the Galati region.

Pyongyang reiterates support for Moscow

Kim Jong Un sent Vladimir Putin a letter saying he was “proud” of relations between North Korea and Russia and reiterating his support for Moscow in the war against Ukraine, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. North Korea is officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK.